INTERVIEW | 'ZIP IT', EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
The countdown to the world's biggest arts festival Edinburgh Festival Fringe is on and arrives this month for its 75th anniversary. Between 5 - 29 August you can enjoy a diverse selection of work from across the UK in Scotland's capital city.
Ahead of the festival, I have fantastic interviews coming up from some of the acts who will be heading there to showcase their work.
Today's interview comes from Zip It. Zip It is an immersive all-female play which is coming to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
So to begin with, tell us where your interest in theatre came from?
I hate to sound cliche but I have been interested in theatre since I was about 3 years old, when I was watching Cinderella with my parents at The Lowry and tugging on my mum’s arm asking ‘how can I do that over and over... It’s really been all I’ve wanted to do since then. I have been in theatre groups all my life, which led me to study Theatre & Performance at the University of Leeds. I’m now in the National Youth Theatre and I’ve started up AH Productions which is crazy and super exciting. I think theatre is just the best way to touch on difficult subjects and to leave audiences asking questions and forming their own opinions.
This is the debut show from Annabel Harrison productions. Can you tell us a little bit about that company and the type of work you like to develop?
I’ve worked as an actor for many years now in a variety of theatre but I’ve always found immersive theatre to be the most exciting project to be a part of. I think this type of theatre allows the audience to be involved in the action and to leave having felt they’ve had an experience. ZIP IT is the first play that I’ve put on since starting Annabel Harrison Productions, it felt right that the first one was about this important subject and I’m excited to see where we can go with it.
Zip It touches on a lot of relevant subject matter. Can you explain more about this specific subject and why you gravitated toward it?
I have always felt extremely strongly about the topic of women’s safety, it's a conversation that I’ve always wanted to be a part of and I don’t think there’s anything more important to use your voice for. I took part in a workshop with the National Youth Theatre a couple of years ago and within this, me and one of the cast members of ZIP IT, Maya, and created a piece of work that focussed on the complexity of post-Covid anxieties and the unfortunate normalisation of sexual harassment in nightlife and club spaces. I think the reaction we had from that very small online show, from friends and family, really is what sparked me to look into this more. It struck me that it doesn’t only happen frequently but also, women often feel they cannot discuss. The curiosity as to what our reactions would be when the new norm of covid isolation was over and we were back to being put into these situations. This is really what led to the creation of ZIP IT which primarily focuses on the fact that women feel they must stay quiet about these taboo subjects.
"The headlines influenced me because it made me wonder what we, as a society, must do to stop having to read them and how we can use our voices in the right way to make an impact"
So many people will be able to relate to this play - especially through stories we hear from the media. Did you use any of these stories in your piece as influence?
Unfortunately, I think through their own lived experience, every woman will be able to relate to this show in some way or another. The frequent and horrendous news headlines were certainly an influence on the show, the news of Sarah Everard happened during the creation of the script and there were numerous, awful stories to follow. There are moments in the play where we acknowledge these women because I think it’s really important to not shy away from the often devastating consequence of violence against women. It is however important to note that ZIP IT is about women feeling that they can vocalise, what is deemed as ‘smaller acts’ of sexual harassment. I think far too often we don’t do this because they’re so normalised to us. It is of my opinion that these ‘small’ acts can have a domino effect where consequently, we’re seeing these tragic headlines. The headlines influenced me because it made me wonder what we, as a society, must do to stop having to read them and how we can use our voices in the right way to make an impact.
Do you draw on personal experiences and views a lot in this piece? If yes, does this add another layer to Zip It?
I think with having an all-female cast, it would be impossible for us not to draw on our own experiences whilst exploring a play with this subject. Workshopping the themes of the show was a significant part of our rehearsal process, which at times, was a very overwhelming and exhausting experience. Each member of the cast has added their own personal experience to this piece in various ways and in a lot of the scenes, the movements and the script are portrayals of that. The outcome of this has led to us creating a piece that is relatable for an audience, because it has five women’s influences, all from various backgrounds and cultures. Doing this work, also inevitably allowed us all to feel connected and passionate about the show and determined to deliver our message in the most effective way possible for the audience.
This piece is described as immersive - what makes your play this style? What can people expect?
Without giving too much of the fun stuff away…ZIP IT is set within a dystopian game show, in which the audience interacts with the hosts as they watch the story unravel. The audience embodies the darkness in society and so it’s through them that we achieve that connectedness between actor-spector. Expect laughter and tears and certainly a memorable experience…
What would you like to see for the future of this piece?
I think this is a really important piece of theatre and my aim is for as many people as possible to experience it. Post Fringe, I plan on touring ZIP IT, either as a National tour or following my Northern actor roots, potentially a Northern tour.
How do you feel about performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year?
I feel extremely grateful to have the opportunity to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. It’s been high up on my bucket list as an actor for some time and I’m so excited for myself and the team to experience it and also to hopefully give the audience a memorable experience too. I hope that the Fringe is just the beginning for ZIP IT.
Why is this festival important for people to see and support during August?
Well for starters, it is the 75th year of the Fringe which is amazing, and we are so excited to be making our debut in such a momentous year. The pandemic has hit the theatre industry hard and Fringe theatre especially, it has never been more important for audiences to come out and support the festival this August. This also means not just seeing the big names at the Fringe, but seeing the smaller shows, student shows and those who are at the beginning of their careers in the industry, as they are the talent of tomorrow and we need to support them to keep the industry thriving.
Besides your show, are there any that you’d recommend that people go and watch during the festival?
Our list of shows we want to see is so long, that I don’t know how we are going to fit it all in! Some other all-female shows we are really excited about are Girlplay, Poles, The Last Words, The Beatles Were A Boyband, and Almost Adult. Other shows we are looking forward to are Speed Dial, Swell and Lucid!
Where can people come and see you during the festival?
We’re on at TheSpace, Niddry St, Venue 9 at 2:45pm!